1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of roof coverings. In particular, the invention is concerned with a thin film safety barrier coupled between the lower flanges of spaced roof purlins for supporting the weight of a person thereon in the space between the purlins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the construction of a building, the roof purlins and other structural members present spaces therebetween. Workers are faced with the risk of falling between the purlins while working on the roof structure during the installation of insulation and other roof coverings.
One prior art solution to this problem is to install a nonmetallic mesh fabric over the top of the purlins. This mesh fabric is strong enough to support the weight of a worker who has accidentally slipped from the purlins. The fabric also serves to support roof insulation. This prior art solution does not provide a vapor barrier in order to protect the insulation from moisture accumulation resulting in loss of insulating value. Moreover, this type of mesh does not provide an aesthetic appearance to the lower side of the roof structure, which typically remains unfinished.
In another prior art solution, insulation blankets for installation between roof purlins include safety netting. This product provides no protection for the workers installing the insulation itself and is provided in large bulky rolls of insulation material which is awkward to handle and because of this, presents an increased risk of accidents.